1
as in overpowering
Related Words
Relevance
2
as in crushing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
3
as in staggering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in devastating
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
just the thought of how much work there is to do overwhelms me
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in flooding
to cover with a flood
that spring the massive runoff from melting snows overwhelmed the valley
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of overwhelming
John Brandon, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
But the process of finding what works for her daughter has been overwhelming.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The best looks let the women of Hollywood shine through, rather than overwhelming them.
—Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelming
Adjective
Regardless, the admin functions can still feel overwhelming.
—John Brandon, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
But the process of finding what works for her daughter has been overwhelming.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Any vines that are overwhelming a tree in this fashion need to be removed or drastically pruned.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The best looks let the women of Hollywood shine through, rather than overwhelming them.
—Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overwhelming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overwhelming
Adjective
-
When the crew retracted the drill to replace its bit, an overpowering jet of oil fountained from the well.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
In the darkened foyer, Ember contemplated this unassuming bit of paper, momentarily paralyzed by a mixture of dread and excitement stirred together, an overpowering sensation that oozed from the crown of her head, down the length of her body, then hardened, like a soft golden resin becoming solid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even the laughs and smiles that Joe and Kate Keller issue are fleeting, a respite from the journey toward a more crushing reality.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Currently, Leo consists of 200+ satellites, while Starlink now spans a staggering 10,000+ active satellites.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
-
But the laundry list of specific misdeeds is staggering.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Our team found that a hospital cyberattack cut the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest without devastating brain damage by nearly 90% at nearby hospitals, not just the one that was attacked.—
Jeffrey Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But the war now is devastating it.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The American Jewish community responded to the Yom Kippur War, which killed nearly three thousand Israeli soldiers, by flooding Israel with donations; doctors and students volunteered to join the war effort.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The roots hold fast to mud and soil, reducing erosion and absorbing the power of storm surge to protect inland areas from flooding.—
Ryan Kellman,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Our selection of irresistible snackable foods includes mini mac and cheese cups, sticky buns, jumbo popovers, and more.—
Victoria Spencer,
Martha Stewart,
3 Apr. 2026
-
By the time Turner gave his paper in Chicago in 1893, the myth of the frontier already had an irresistible pull in American culture, a simple rhetorical trajectory that made white men and women feel proud of themselves and their past.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even in the absence of any proven crime committed by Tisch, even in the naivest retelling or understanding of Tisch’s correspondences with Epstein, his unacceptable relationship with this man deserves censure.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Artemis has been trudging along at a once-every-three-years flight rate, which Isaacman deems unacceptable.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But his epic project is a stupendous, oceanfront complex in Palm Beach.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Rinko Kikuchi is stupendous as a ballroom-dancing widow infatuated with her instructor.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overwhelming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overwhelming. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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